U.S. must have balance in budget cuts

Whatever the election results in November, we and other Quaker groups across the country recognize and emphasize that a balanced budget requires a balanced approach. The balance that concerns us is that between Pentagon spending that has nearly doubled in the past decade and proposed severe cuts in domestic spending for education, health care, clean energy, highway, rail and air transportation, maintenance of public lands and parks and other programs that enhance our daily lives.

Under the Budget Control Act of 2011, now in effect, the Pentagon budget is reduced by about 10 percent over 10 years, and the domestic budget by about 8 percent.

Defense contractors and others are said to be lobbying heavily to restore full Pentagon spending and instead to make even more severe reductions in domestic spending. There have been studies contending that education, health care and clean energy are not only important to our social and economic future, but are better investments for job creation than Pentagon spending.

We urge others to join us in telling our congressional candidates and incumbents that we want a federal budget recognizing that our strength rests not just on military might, but what kind of country we are defending.